Crupper.



UNITED STATES Patented septemtei1 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WALLACE W. LYON AND JAMES L. DAVIS, MOUNT SALEM, KENTUCKY; SAID DAVISASSIGNOR TO RICHARD M. STEWART, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

CRUPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming'pert of Letters retent No. 739,195, dettes.september 15, 1903. Application led January 3, 1903. Serial No. 1 37,658. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t nea/y concern:

Be it known that we, WALLACE W. LYON and J AMES L. DAvIs, of MountSalem, in the county of Lincoln and State of Kentucky,

vhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Cruppers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in that class of cruppers forharness in which the tail of the horse is supported and held in correctposition, its object being to so support the tail as to add to thegeneral appearance ofthe horse and at'the same time prevent the -tailfrom hanging to one side and maintain -of the front end of the frame.

In carrying out our invention we use a frame A of the 'shape shown andcomprising the metallic side bars or rods a a, the flattened apexportion a', and the separated'rear ends a2 a2, curved inwardly towardeach other and also downwardly, so as to fit on the buttocks of thehorse. This frame is covered with leather, the flattened end portion eX-tending under a slot b, made in the back-strap B, the purpose `of whichwill be explained hereinafter. The curved ends a2 CL2 of the frame arethreaded, as at D, inwardly a suitable distance, the threads on one endbeing right-hand threads and the threads on the opposite end beingleft-hand threads.

Rigidly secured to or integral with each side barY or rod c @,just inthe rear of the threaded portions,are the collars C C,one face of whichis provided with serrations or ratchets c, and the other face of eachcollar being smooth, as at c', and inclosed within the leather cover Lof the crupper. Preferably the opposing face of the collars C areprovided with serrations or ratchets.

tach straps or springs M, to

A right and left threaded nut or turnbuckle E is fitted to the threadedends D of the rods' B and provided with a row of holes or sockets F toreceive a pin or nail to turn of the leather covering L, form a'shoulderA Z, 6o

against which the ends of the cylindrical sleeve member H of thetail-support abut. This portion H of the tail-support consists of ahollow metal cylinder having secured within its ends a suitabledistance, the disks 6:,

I I, 'provided with the central apertures to freely admit the ends ofrods B. The outer faces of said disks are serrated orprovided withratchets'it, the teeth, however, pointing in opposite directions tothose on the collars C C. 7o

The sleeve l-l is also provided with a slot J in one side, preferablythe under side, through which a pin or nail is to be inserted whennecessary to adjust the device by turning the nut E. Extending upwardlyand rearwardly on a suitable curve from the sleeve H, to which it isrigidly attached and forms a part of, is the tail-support K, being madeof sheet-steel or other suitable thin metal and concaved transversely,as clearly shown. points, preferably at about the center and near thefree endy of said support K, we atpass around the bone-of the tail.

as stated, the crupper is placed in position,

-the forward end covering being suitably attached to the saddle of theharness, and the breeching-strap passing through the slot in 9o theback-strap over the pointed end or apex of the frame, securely holdingthat end down between the horses hips.

The cylindrical sleeve H iits under the root ofthe horses tail, and thetail-support K fits snuglyto and under the stub of the tail. The

At suitable 8o nut turned, which draws the threaded ends I) of the' rodsB B toward each other and brings the serrations or ratchets on collars CC into engagement with the serrations or ratchets on the disks I I andlocks them together, and thus securely holds the sleeve H and thetail-holder K in the desired position.

The sleeve H, being cylindrical, forms practically a continuation of theleather covering of the side bars B and presents the appearance of anordinary crupper, the adjusting and locking parts being concealed fromview by said sleeve II. The support K, being concealed by the hair ofthe horses tail, will also be unobserved.

By means of the right and left threaded ends of rods B B, the right andleft threaded nut, and the serrations or ratchets on the collars C C andthe disks I I and concaved metal tail-support K any desired curve orinclination may be given to the horses tail and retained, thus adding tothe appearance of the horse, especially in showing the animal, and alsocorrecting the fault usual in most horses of the tail hanging to oneside. With this device the tendency of horses throwing the tail over thelines is obviated.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by-Letters Patent, is

l. A crupper, comprising a frame consisting of a front body portion andside bars eX- tending rearwardly therefrom and bent toward each other attheir rear ends but separated, a tail-holder frame pivotally mounted onthe separated rear ends of the side bars and bridging the openingbetween them, and means for adjustably securing said tailholder to suchseparated rear ends of the side bars.

2. A crupper comprising a frame consisting of side bars separated attheir rear ends and having right and left threads thereon, shoulders adj acentto the ends of said rods, and a tail-support consisting of hollowcylindrical portion fitting over the ends of said rods and arearwardly-curved tail-supportin g member, said cylindrical portionfitting between the shoulders on the rods, and a right and left threadednut engaging the threaded ends of the rods, whereby the said ends areadapted to be drawn toward each other and adjustably clamp thetail-holder between the shouldered portions of the rods.

3. A crupper comprising a frame consisting of side bars joined at theirinner ends, and having their rear ends separated and 0ppositelythreaded, collars rigidly secured to said bars adjacent to their rearends and provided with serrations or ratchets on their opposing faces,and a tail-support consisting of a cylindrical sleeve and arearwardly-curved tail-support, said sleeve inclosing the threaded endsof said bars and provided with serrations or ratchets on its innersurface, and a right and left threaded nut engaging theoppositely-threaded ends of the side bars, and fitting within thecylindrical sleeve, whereby the ends of the side bars may be drawntoward each other and the serrated faces of the collars engage theserrations on the inner surface of the cylindrical sleeve, to adjustablysecure and hold the tail-holder at any desired inclination.

4. A crupper comprising a frame consisting of side bars joined at theirinner ends and a leather cover for the same, means for securing saidframe to the horses back, the rear ends of the said side bars beingseparated, and the leather cover forming shoulders adjacent to said rearends, right and left threads on the ends of the side bars, collarsrigidly secured to the side bars adjacent to the rear ends thereof andhaving serrations or ratchets on their opposing faces, a right and leftthreaded nut engaging the oppositelythreaded ends of the bars andprovided with sockets or holes in its periphery, and a tailsupportconsisting of a cylindrical sleeve surrounding said nut and arearwardly-curved concaved tail-holder projecting therefrom, said sleevehaving a transverse slot, and serrations or ratchets on its innersurface adjacent to each end whereby when the nut is turned in onedirection the rear ends of the side bars will approach each other andthe serrations on the collars and Within the cylindrical sleeve engageeach other, the ends ofthe sleeve abutting the shoulders formed by theends of leather cover, and adjustably secure the tail-holder at anydesired inclination.

5. A crupper comprising side members whose rear ends converge but areseparated, a tail-support held rotatably between said rear ends, andmeans for forcing the side members toward each other and clamping thetail-support between the rear ends, whereby the tail-support may beadjusted and held at any vertical angle.

WALLACE W. LYON. JAMES-L. DAVIS.

Vitnesses:

GEO. E. ALFoRD, B. C. GooDE.

IOO

